Why isn't it headline news that no tests are available?

[Froginaboginasmock]

Surely this is incredibly important - Govt said over and over we couldn't return to school/work without Test and Trace - and it's already broken down.

No tests whatsoever available now in my area, scores of others on MN reporting the same. Checked the Guardian live, BBC - nothing. Why isn't this being reported? It doesn't seem to be restricted tests, having no travel etc anymore: it's no tests.

That’s horrendous @VioletCharlotte!

It is now more prominent on The guardian

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/13/covid-tests-sent-to-italy-and-germany-as-uk-labs-are-overwhelmed

I wouldn't put it past them to report 6.2 miles average and be including all the postal tests. That would keep the average distance down a fair bit...

I am the same op been trying since Friday to book tests or home tests as I don't drive or live near a centre 7 yr old came home from school on Friday with symptoms now i have them and its shocking. We both have health issues and i cant afford to be out of work

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/tried-book-coronavirus-test-10-18923881

It’s being reported but it certainly doesn’t seem to be the most prominently reported thing around Covid.

My Facebook feed, however, has loads and loads of posts popping up from local pages & groups with people talking about the difficulties they’re having getting tests booked or home tests. People are also reporting being turned away from the drive in and walk in testing sites. Each post has loads of replies from people who are also having problems getting a test. It seems to be a massive problem round here from what I’m seeing on Facebook.

My staff members son has a temperature so needs a test before he can go to school and her back to work. She has tried for 2 days to get a test to no avail. There is one in the town I live in which you could just turn up to 2 weeks ago so I told her to go there. Apparently you now have to book it and despite them saying it's been empty it wasn't showing on the site. She begged them and they let him in for a test so fingers crossed she gets the results back soon.

I'm sat refreshing now to try and get a slot when they release at 8pm

Majority of people don’t realise just how much the government control the media.

@Yellowbutterfly1

Majority of people don’t realise just how much the government control the media.

Can you describe how they do it?

[quote Froginaboginasmock]That’s horrendous @VioletCharlotte!

It is now more prominent on The guardian

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/13/covid-tests-sent-to-italy-and-germany-as-uk-labs-are-overwhelmed[/quote]
So not being suppressed?

They want us back to work and school so limiting the number of tests performed will show a drop in positive results? IDK, maybe I'm too cynical.

I'd say you're spot on @letsmaketea. This has been happening for a long time too. The DoH stopped publishing daily figures of how many tests had been done months ago, citing 'technical difficulties', which meant that from then on the number done could be massaged to control the number that were positive. Presumably that's why there are now reports emerging about whole batches of swabs being dumped etc. You couldn't make it up. One can only guess at what our case numbers would be if they were actually doing all the tests they're supposed to be doing.

I’ve seen it in the news too!

@FrolickingLemon

Because as usual, the Govt largely control the media, and it's not something they want to broadcast. Fucking mess. A massive, ongoing colossal fuckturd.

The government will boycott anyone that criticises them. They're already boycotting Newsnight, Good Morning Britain and the Daily Mirror. The rest of the media don't want their access cut off.

I have seen media reports about a shortage. There was also an announcement by Matt Hancock about it.
Lots of posts on here. We'll be living with Covid-19 for a long time. Get used to things not running like clockwork.

Theres 'rumour' that the company providing tests are not doing them anymore..

But as i say, Just rumour.

Hopefully not true

twitter.com/gabriel_pogrund/status/1305047753983225858?s=21

Leaked documents here showing that there is a 185,000 test backlog..... and thousands of tests have been voided because they haven’t been stored / transported properly

*Agreed. It needs to be at the top of every news outlet. The Lancet published a report which says that in order to prevent a second wave in December, which is bigger than the first one, test and trace has to be fully operational.

I am seriously worried about how this is being handled. We're going to be in big trouble.*

Me too 😣

MinaMurray yes same here - loads of posts on the local Facebook groups of people who can’t get tests. So it’s definitely not just on MN. It’s a massive balls up. Nothing about it on the front page of the BBC website.

@Feminist10101

You don’t need to. If they feel hot to the touch on the chest/back of neck they have a temp.

This, I feel, is THE most vague and unhelpful statement from the government. My daughter ALWAYS feels hot. So to anyone apart from us, she would fit that symptom criteria 99% of every day...

Doesn't make me feel happy when she's with teachers/childminders

@Squidsister

MinaMurray yes same here - loads of posts on the local Facebook groups of people who can’t get tests. So it’s definitely not just on MN. It’s a massive balls up. Nothing about it on the front page of the BBC website.

The BBC wouldn't date

*Dare ffs

Got one for tomorrow 👌🏽

And the head of test and trace is busy setting up a new institute for health protection to save us all.
Oh and within a few months we'll all be getting tested every ten minutes, with results appearing in seconds so we can go back to cramming ourselves into cinemas and snogging strangers.
They think we're stupid.

Well somebody is having tests done because the UK is doing over 200,000 every day.
I think their must be a lot of selfish people having them that dont need them and dont have symptoms.

The Times link above, I found particularly startling. They estimated that approximately 62K people had results processed each day last week. That puts 3000+ positive results in a different light.